why do you leave the ugly holes in the concrete????????
John O'Leary
5 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (7)
Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects
5 years agoJohn O'Leary
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me brighten up this ugly corner between wall & fence
Comments (40)Hello Moomin. Thank you for posting your query. A planting design takes time, weighing up the site, your style and maintenance. Year round structure for aesthetics as well as screening and privacy come first. Always a shame when planting is an afterthought after landscaping! However this is very common and I've had some experience of planting design commissions after landscaping has been done. My initial thoughts do not take into account many things which can't be conveyed in one photo provided here (as designers we take into account the various views within the garden amongst other things) but I will outline here a sketchy response to demonstrate some considerations. There have been some good suggestions made above. Jonathandb1972 has a good one, planting a carefully selected tree, so the canopy softens (but not hides) the view of the conservatory behind. Olive could be an option but depends on the aspect given that your a fellow Yorkshire resident! Alternatively there's Pyrus salicifolia, or Prunus lusitanica the latter responding particularly well to pruning to retain the size. Always talk to your neighbour about your careful choices and help them to understand that you've considered maintenance.... And the benefit of planting for them! For best results a planter at least 50cm deep and nearly as much wide to help a tree flourish. Deeper would be better. Keeping a collection of containers of the same/similar material would unify the view. Perhaps allowing a climber up the adjacent wall which faces you when descending the steps? A third container might fit in the corner in front of the downpipe? Although the dimensions of space available would determine if this is possible. The dark colour of the fence is receding and also provides a lovely neutral colour to show off the foliage of the specimen. A very rough sketch is shown here in a version of your photo below. I've just done it on the iPad so is a bit rough and ready. In order to avoid the tree becoming too much of a focal point (you're trying to avoid looking at the building behind) a bold evergreen plant to the left corner next to the steps would draw your eye within the garden. This could then be balanced out with another one to the right of the tree or possibly one up the steps against the fence. This all depends on scale and space available. This would be my first draft concept but might well come to a different response when seeing the garden for real. Happy planting!...See MoreWhat have you been creative with? Concrete shelves for luxury bathroom
Comments (33)MATH the terracotta panels ( Ladrillos panelas) are very brittle so I doubt if topping a wall with them would be that good they are okay in suspended ceilings, shelves and similar but on a wall top you would definitely need to render them quite thickly. The dimensions you give work out to 60 cubic metres so I see why you want an alternative to blocks, casting concrete or using lava. I had a google for Spanish concrete panels along the lines of gravel boards, don't know if you speak any Spanish so it's more or less 'panelas de hormigon', I can't find anything useful on Spanish Google at the moment but next week I have to go to my local builders merchant so I'll ask him if he has any ideas....See Morewhat can I do to hide this ugly fire??
Comments (25)Not a lover of the surround either it was plastered over a hideous brick fireplace (long story) and is staying there until we either move(in a few years) or replace the back boiler and get rid of the offending baxi altogether!! Got solid oak flooring I will have to replace that one I scale it down a bit as well...See MoreHow to make our ugly 1930s terrace look pretty?
Comments (28)Hi - congratulations on your new house in our beautiful city! Your vestibule glass is stunning and if you like it as much as I do, I would consider taking design direction from that .... it will subtly remind you of/prepare you for that 'wow' factor as you approach your home. I wouldn't lose the external door if you value the heat retention/security, but you could change it to the style of the inner door, which will also add light. Mostly I would concentrate on using elements of those colours from the vestibule glass on the outside of your home - namely the yellow, deep red and black. I love Bristol painted houses, but if you want to keep to a neutral paint on the render then just experiment with ways you can use these colours as accents, eg door colour or detail on the door surround, dark window cills, dark brick red or nearly-black path, and definitely planting (especially the LHS of the path & RHS of the door). Depends on your budget but I'd recommend tiling the front step, and then maybe save money by using concrete paint on the path. Have fun experimenting with different ideas by 'photoshopping' a picture of your home before you spend any money! :-)...See MoreJohn O'Leary
3 years agoDan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects
3 years agoleahmaria2k
3 years agoJohn O'Leary
3 years ago
Beth Keegan